Exercising device



May 24, 1949- R. w. w. HARVEY EXERCISING' DEVICE Filed March l0, 1948 Patented May 24,11949 2,470,816x nX-emrsmo rin-vien Roosevett W; Harvey,-Somewl1e;Masss;. amicaeuniuareni0, maseriarno. .14,103

y2 iGlamse; (Cl. 272-84) scribedrand particularlydened in the claimsat' the :endcflthis specification- In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an exercising device embodying the present invention; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

In general, the present invention contemplates an exercising device which may be termed a leverage bar and which is particularly adapted for development of the arms, chest and other muscles of the body. The illustrated exercising device comprises, in general, an elongated bar which may be grasped at spaced points at one end of the bar and having a Weight adjustably mounted thereon at the second end. In use, one end of the bar is grasped in one hand and used as a fulcrum and the bar is lifted with the other hand grasping an intermediate portion of the bar, the bar being moved substantially radially to swing the weighted end through an arcuate path. Thus, when the weight is adjusted toward the fulcrum end of the bar the force required to swing the weighted end upwardly is less than the force required when the weight is adjusted outwardly toward the opposite end of the bar.

Referring now to the drawings, the illustrated leverage bar comprises an elongated rod or bar I having a pair of spaced handles or grips I 2, I4 mounted thereon near one end of the .bar and a Weighted unit, indicated generally at I6, mounted at the other end of the bar to be capable of adjustment longitudinally of the bar.

In practice, the grip I2 may be placed at the fulcrum end of the rod, and the grip I4 may and preferably will be spaced from the grip I2 a distance approximating the distance between the shoulders so that when grasped with the arms extending downwardly from the shoulders the hands will be positioned in alignment with the grips. The grips may be conveniently made from fibre tubing or other suitable similar material and the endmost grip I2 may and preferably will be 2:. fast the'end offtlie-lbar, the fbre-tubefbeingi friction tight relation. The other IMI, "ispreferably` rotatablyv 'mountedonkv the bar .-sothatf when the' unit" is grasped and lifted through an arc'tihe grip -M may rotate with the "hand"` relativet'o the bar. mayfbe Yprovided'` Witt-'ra corrugated orcthersui-table gripping surface and isiheldifromf-longitudina lfdlisplacemerrt: -cnthe @bar 'by-'collars t8; 20 alt itlfi'ewends thereof; the collars being secured tc-itheibemlbyfweldi-ng or in other `sui'tablecharmer.y

"lli-ll'ie'iweigtiftedi unit Il' may comprise av Icircular disc or plate 2l carried by a sleeve` portionY 22"- eieteridiiigfromand fformediinteg-rallyl with a: Icellar 24 slidably mounted on the bar andfihavinga set screw 26 therein for securing the .weighted unit in its longitudinally adjusted position on the bar. The disc weight 2l is placed against the shoulder formed by the collar 24 of the sleeve and is clamped in place by a second collar 28 adjustably movable on the sleeve and secured thereto by a locking screw 30.

As herein shown, the rod or bar IIJ is provided with spaced graduations 32 indicating the approximate eli'ective weight lifted when the bar is pivoted at the fulcrum end in one hand and lifted or swung through an arc by the other hand and with the weighted unit I6 adjusted on the bar at a particular graduation. In practice, I have found the preferred proportions of a leverage bar made up in accordance with the present invention to be as follows: The length of the bar I0 may be about four and one half feet overall; the distance from center to center of the hand grips i2, I4 may be between eighteen and twentyone inches, corresponding to the average distance between the shoulders; the leverage bar assembled, without the disc weight 2| may weigh about eight pounds; and the disc weight itself may weigh ten pounds.

With these proportions when the disc weight 2| is assembled on the sleeve and the weighted unit I6 is adjusted on the bar to its innermost extent up against the handle I4, the force required to swing the bar through an arc, as described, will be about twenty pounds, and adjustment of the weight I6 a distance of about one and one-half inches away from the end of the grip I4 will change the leverage so as to require a force of twenty-one pounds to lift the bar through the arcuate path. Further adjustment outwardly at two and one-eighth inch spaced intervals will each increase the effective leverage about one pound, the illustrated leverage bar having provision for increasing the effective weight ilsv 'herein shown, fthe grip I-lii up to thirty-five pounds. It will be observed that the sleeve 22 is extended to provide space for additional discs 2| of various weights to proportionately increase the leverage and effective Weight of the bar When used as described. It will be understood that the above specified proportions are given only :by Way of example and may be varied Without departing from the invention.

In using the present exercising unit, the bar is grasped at the grips I2, I4 by both hands with the user in a standing position and with one arm extended and the hand acting as a fulcrum for the end of the bar, the Weighted end is lifted with the other arm through an arcuate path, this exercise being repeated as long as desired. The position of the rod may then be reversed with the opposite hand acting as a fulcrum and the lifting performed with the other arm.

An advantage in using the present leverage bar is that a beginner may start his training by lifting a bar with the weight adjusted for a, relatively low leverage or effective weight, and, as his training is advanced he may progressively increase the leverage each practice period by out- Ward adjustment of the weight. When the limit of the leverage is reached with one weight, additional discs may be added to further increase the weight to be lifted.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

' scribed comprising an elongated bar, a pair of spaced hand grips mounted upon one end of the bar, and a weighted member mounted for longitudinal adjustment at the other end of the bar, said weighted member comprising a sleeve slidably mounted on the bar, a Weight removably mounted on the sleeve, means for clamping the weight to the sleeve, and means for securing the sleeve in its adjusted position along the bar.

ROOSEVELT W. W. HARVEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 588,350 Perkins Aug. 17, 1897 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 70,350 Australia Oct. 25, 1915 

